Operating mechanism for car-doors.



J. M. ROHLFING.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CAR DOORS.

APPLICATlON FILED OCT. 25. 1915.

Patented May 1, 1917.

JOHN M. ROI-ILFING, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO'AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GAR-DOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May i, draw.

Application filed October :25, 1915 Serial No. 57,747.

certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for Car-Doors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that ,various modifications thereof will occur to persons skilled in the art.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of approximately one-half of a gondola car, the upper portion of the car side being roken away, one of the door locks being shown in a door closing and supporting po-v sition.

F1g. 2 1s a similar fragmentary section of the outer lower corner of the car, showing the door lock in a door releasing position,

and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the lower portion of thecar body, showing the car door operating mechanism applied thereto.

This invention relates tosimple, rugged .and effective mechanism for operating car in the clearance diagrams of such railroads doors and it has for an object the provision of means for raising the doors and for seuirely locking the same in place after the doors have been partly or entirely closed. It is apurpose of the invention to so arrange the car door operating mechanism that it will conserve space and occupy a protected position. Itis also an obj set to have all the parts of the door controlling mechanism occupy positions within the transverse limits of the car when the doors are closed, so that no special provision need be made as the cars equipped with this door mechanism are operated upon.

Thedoor locks each comprise swinging linkage adapted to be swung to withdraw one of the linkage members out ofengagement with the doors to permit the latter to drop by gravity to a lading-discharging position, and to be swung underneath the doors when they are partly raised in returning them to them closed position and to forcibly return said doors to their fully closed positions.

Advantage is taken of the location of the door chain-Winding shaft to support the swinging latches, and the door lock operating shaft has been conveniently arranged in a passageway formed by elements of the car structure and such can-structure is utilized as a stop to insure against an overthrow of the latches when they are moving to their door-closing positions. Other advantages will be apparent herelnafter and are to be regarded as coming within the scope of this invention.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1, thecenter sills are indicated by the numeral 1 and secured to each center sill 1 and extending outwardly therefrom is a series of cross-bearers 2 the outer ends of which support a side sill 3.

YVith its lower edge riveted to the side sill 3 which is here shown as an angle, is a side sheet 4 constituting the major portion of the car side. The upright flange of side sill 3 is inset from the plane of the major and upper portion of side sheet 4 and the latter as it extends above said upright flange inclines upwardly and outwardly to the nor- 'mal plane of sheet 4 which is preferably in is bounded by the upper surface of the horizontal flange of side sill 3 and of the vertical flange thereof, the underside of the upwardly inclined lower portion of the side sheet 4 and by the inner faces of the side stakes 5. Said passage-way is of sufficient cross-sectional area to accommodate a crank 7 of the door-locking mechanism which will be further referred to hereinafter.

Suitably hinged as at 8 to the center sill 1 is a door 9 preferably provided with downturning flanges, the flange opposite the hinges 8 by choice being reinforced by a stiffener such as angle 10. The outer or reinforced edge of the door is adapted to close agaiiist the underside of side sill 3, being carried to or nearly to such position by.

' tated to wind up chain 11 of each door, said doors are brought almost'into contact with side sill 3 and completion of the closure of the doors is insured by the door-locking mechanism which is operable from shaft .6.

Each of'said door-locks comprises in addition to the crank 7 previously referred to, a link 14 connected at its upper end to said cra 7 by a pivot pin 15. Said link 14 is bent to a substantially inverted L-shaped formation, the upper leg being substantially parallel to the horizontal flange of side 8111 3 when the door-lock is in closed position, and the longer leg being vertical and extendin downwardly below winding shaft 13. Pivoted to the lower end of link 14-by pin 16 is a door latch 17, which in turn is pivotally connected by pin 18 to the 08011- lato'ry link or hanger 19 rotatably and idly mounted upon chain-winding shaft 13. The inner end of door latch 17 extends beyond pivot pin 18 and forms an extension 20 adapted to engage the door and preferably the door stiffener 10 when the door is in o nearly in its closed position.

As seen in Fig. 1 the chain-winding shaft 13 extends through a passage bounded by the outer or reinforced edge of door 9, the underside of sill 3, the inner edge of link 14 and the upper edge of door latch 17. Both door-lock-operating shaft 6 and chain-winding shaft 13 extend longitudinally of the car outside the lading compartment and through partly skeleton passage-ways within the transverse limits of the car effecting a compact and space-economizing arrangement, the winding-shaft and the horizontal flange pf the side sill 3 being embraced by the door ocks.

The 0 eration of the device is as follows:

The oor, the door-winding mechanism and the door-locking apparatus being in the positions shown in Fig. 1, and it being desired to open the doors, door-lock shaft 6 is rotated in a clockwise direction to the position shown in Fig. 2, swinging link 14 upwardly and outwardly.

The lower end' of link 14 exerts a 111] upon the pivot pin 16, and door latch 1 is swung from the position shown in Fig. 1 tothat shown in Fig. 2 by the oscillatory hanger 19 which turns freely on chain-winding shaft 13. The extension 20 of door latch 17' is thereby swun from under and away from the path of t e are of the door, and under the influence of the weight of the door, and in some instances the weight of t emes the lading, the door drops by gravity until door chain 11 has been unwound from chainvvl linding shaft 13 whereupon the load disc ar es.

After the lading-discharge the door 9 may be returned to the positionshown in Fig. lby rotating chain-windin shaft 13 in a contraclockwise direction, w ereupon the chain 11 will draw said door 9 nearly to its fully closed position. Contra-clockwise operation of door-lock operating shaft 6 will swing crank 7 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1 when the remainder of the linkage of each door-lock will assume the position shown in Fig. 1. Extension 20 of latch 17 engages the stiffening angle 10 and the continued turning of door-operating shaft 6 forces door 9 against side sill 3. Link 14 is adapted to enga e the edge of the horizontal flange of the 811118 sill 3 if the contra-clockwise movement of door-lock operating shaft 6 is excessive bringing the parts of each door-lock to a stop, and insuring proper engagement .of extension 20 of door latch 17 with stiffening member 10 of the door.

When the parts of each door-lock have assumed the position shown in Fig. 1, pivot parts. Each door 9 is therefore tightly heldin closed position and the car receive a new load.

The door operating mechanism it will be understood, is susceptible of application to different forms of cars other than the type shown, and may be re-arranged without disturbing the relationship of its various elements.

It is also obvious that, instead of the doors closing against the side sills of a car, they may close against the bottom chord of a plate girder forming the car side, or against other elements of the car structure, the decision being within the discretion of the car builder and determined largely by the type of car to which the door-operating mechanism is to be applied.

I claim:

1. In combination in a dump car, doors provided with suitably supported hinges, a shaft parallel with the latter, door-actuating members operable by said shaft and a door lock comprising a plurality of pivot- 1s ready to ally connected members suspended from said ports, a shaft parallel with the latter, dooractuating members and a plurality of suspended plural-part door locks the parts of WhlCh are adapted to be simultaneously swun said members and locks being connecte with said shaft but being independently operable.

3. In combination in a dump car, doors, a plurality of shafts, door-actuating members operable by one shaft and swingingly suspended door-locks provided with latches supported from said shaft by vibratory" means and independently operable by another of said shafts.

4. In combinationin a dump car, doors, door-actuating members adapted to partly close said doors, an operating shaft therefor, door-locks for engaging the partly closed doors and completing their closure comprising an oscillato hanger pivotally supported from said sha t, a swinging latch rockably connected thereto and means for advancing and withdrawing said latch to and from a door-supporting position.

5. In combination in a dump car, doors adapted to close against portions of the car structure, door-actuating. means, door-locks supportedly connected with but independently operable from said door-actuating means and provided with latches held out of contact with said door-actuating means and adapted to be swung to a door-supporting position and means for operating said doorlocks.

63. In combination in a dump car, doors, door-actuating means, door locks connected with but independently operable from said door-actuating means and comprisinglatches and means for swinging the same to doorsupporting positions, a stop, unintentional withdrawing movements of said latches moving said latch-swinging means against said stop.

7 In combination in a dump car, doors, door-moving members, an operating shaft therefor, door-locks each comprising an oscillatory hanger suspended from said shaft, a swinging latch and linkage adapted to advance or withdraw said latch to and from a door-supporting position and actuating means for said linkage.

8. In combination in a dump car, doors, door-raising members, an operating shaft therefor, door locks comprising vibratory hangers loosely mounted on said shaft,

latches adapted to be swung thereby and linkage adapted to advance said latches under said doors when the same are partly closed and to complete the closureof said doors and actuating means for said linkage. 9. In combination in a dump car, a car underframe member, a door adapted to close thereagainst, a door-actuating member, an operating shaft therefor, a door-lock swingingly suspended from said shaft and having a member continuously spaced from said shaft adapted to hold said door against said underframe member and actuating means for said door-lock.

10. In combination in a dump car, a car underframe member, a door adapted to close thereagainst, astiifener for the underframe member-engaging portion of said door, a door-actuating member, an operating shaft therefor, a door-lock swingingly suspended from said shaft and adapted to be swung and rocked into engagement with said stiffener to maintain said door closed and doorlocleactuating means.

' 11. In combination in a dump car, a sill, a door adapted to close thereagainst, a dooractuating member, an operating shaft therefor, a door-lock supported from said shaft but independently operable therefrom and comprising a door latch and actuating linkage therefor adapted to move said latch to a door-supporting position and to engage said sill to prevent excessive movement of said latch and linkage-operating means.

12. In combination in a dump car, a sill, a door adapted to close thereagainst, dooractuating means including an operating" connected with said side sill, side stakes connecting the outer portions of said side wall and cross-bearers, doors adapted to. close against the side sill, swing locks for holding said doors closed adapted to be placed in complete independence of said doors to release the same, said locks having portions extending between said side stakes and Wall and a door-lock-operating shaft also located between said side stakes and wall.

14. In] combination in a'dump car, crossbearers, a side sill supported thereby, doors adapted to close below said sill, door actuating means, door-locks comprising door-supporting latches and latch-actuating linkage the latter being conformed to the adjacent contour of said cross-bearers and side sill and door-lock operating means.

15. In combination in a dump car, a side sill, doors adapted to close below the same,

a shaft above said side sill and another underframe member, suitably mounted doors, a shaft above said underframe memher and another therebelow, door-locks supported by the lower shaft and operable by n bracing said lower shaft, supported there 'underframe member,

the upper shaft and door-actuating mem bers operable by the lower shaft.

18. In combination in a dump car, a car underframe member, suitably mounted doors, a shaft above said underframe member and another therebelow, door-locks emfrom and operable by the upper shaft and door-actuating members operable by the lower shaft.

19. In combination in a dump car, a car suitably mounted doors, a shaft above said underframe member and another therebelow, door-locks embracing said lower shaft and underframe member and supported from the lower shaft and operable by the upper shaft and dooractuating members operable from said lower shaft. v

20. In combination in a dump car, a side sill, arecessed car side wall, side stakes secured to the outstanding'portion of side .wall and depending in advance of the reoessed'portion, a shaft above said sill and between said side stakes and recessed wall portion and another shaft below said sill, suitably mounted doors, door-actuating mem- I bers operable from the-lower shaft and doorsupporting locks operable from the upper shaft, the elements of said locks all being inset from the outer edges of saidside stakes when said locks are ina door-supporting Z position.

1 ,aaarae 21. In combination in a dump car, transverse members, a vertical side wall provided with an inwardly bent lower portion terminating above said transverse members, side posts, an angularly shaped member with a substantially imperforate horizontal portion connecting a plurality of said transverse members and having a flange connected to the lower portion of the side wall, a pair of-shafts positioned near said angularly shaped member and door-controlling means connected to and connecting both shafts,-said shafts being adapted to operate door-controlling means.-

. 22. In combination in a dump car, acrossbearer, a sidewall extending over a portion ofthe cross-bearer, a member imperforate except for rivet connectionsconnected with said wall and cross-bearer, a palr of shafts in proximity to said member and door-controllingmeans cooperative with one of said shafts toclose a, door and cotiperative with both shafts to lock or release such door.

23. In combination in a dump car, a crossbearer, a side wall extending over a portion of the cross-bearer,-'a member lmperforate except for rivet connections connected with said wall and cross-bearer and a doorrlifting 

